The Way Home
by KataHime
Summary: Ziva answers the call. Tony has some secrets of his own when he picks her up at the airport. Tiva/Jabby Post 17x02


**The Way Home**

**A/N: Tiva/Jabby fic, Set after the credits roll, 17x02**

**Summary: Ziva answers the call. Tony has some secrets of his own when he picks her up at the airport.**

The first time hearing Tony's voice in 6 years, she feels overwhelmed with emotion. How do you explain to the love of your life that you faked your death and are alive?

The phone rings and rings and rings, and she feels her anxiety start to flare up. What was she supposed to say? She opens the phone, accepting the call.

"Tony."

* * *

Paris was still as beautiful as ever. In all her time underground, she had imagined being able to come back, imagined it so hard that some days she could hear the sounds of the City of Love. Being back after so many years, she feels overwhelmed. Stepping off the plane, she takes a deep breath.

The first time seeing Tony in 6 years, she falters just slightly. He's standing tall, looking for her in the crowd. She feels tears prick her eyes; how long had she waited for this? How much had she sacrificed? Would he still want her? She runs. She runs to him, praying that he would still want her, even like this, as damaged as she was. When she crashed into him, he holds her tightly, assuring himself that she was truly there. For long moments, they stand in the middle of the airport, clutching each other, and she cries.

"Welcome home, Ziva."

She pulls away slightly, looking around, "Where's Tali?"

He smiles, "Home with friends. I told her I had a surprise for her."

* * *

The door clicks open quietly, and she stands in the doorway, letting the sounds of the house overtake her. The fireplace crackles in the living room, the TV playing quietly, and she can hear Tali's laugh.

Tony waits behind her, giving her time to adjust. She takes a step forward, and then another, and she smiles softly. He enters behind her, shutting the door softly.

"Abba?" Tali's voice calls out. She feels her tears fall at her voice. Their girl, her perfect little Tali, comes running around the corner. She halts abruptly, and then a wide smile breaks out on her face, "Ima!" The small little body crashes into her legs, and she picks her up with a smile.

She's grown so much in 3 years, and she holds her close, feeling as though she would disappear if she let go.

"Ima, Ima, come!" She lets Tali pull her into the living room, and Tony follows behind her with a soft smile.

"Tali," she laughs softly, "what is it?"

She stops in the living room, confusion and shock dancing through her eyes.

"Abby? Jenny?"

Two sets of emerald eyes flicker to her, smiles breaking out on their faces.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who knows how to fake her death, Agent David." Jen says softly.

Abby pulls her into a soft hug, and she relishes in it.

_This Kasie person sounds amazing Gibbs, but I don't want them involved in this. _She hadn't asked Gibbs about Abby, hearing about the shooting, too afraid to know if another one of her loved ones was dead.

"What?" She starts, looking between them, "How are you—"

"Imagine my surprise," Tony chimes in from behind her, stroking a hand along her back gently, "when I'm walking down the street one day with Tali and see our Madame Director coming out of a shop."

* * *

Later that night, after Tali has been put down for bed, the four sit on the couch over a cup of tea. She rests comfortably against Tony.

"We saw your," she hesitates, unsure if she wanted to drag up emotions from over a decade ago, "we saw your body, Jen."

"For a moment there," Jen confesses with a frown, "my heart had stopped. It went in and out until the M.E. got there. But the M.E. found a weak pulse, one Tony couldn't detect, I guess. It never made sense to me either." She shrugs, "I was placed in a medically-induced coma to heal. When I woke up, it was nearly two months later. My house was burned to the ground, Vance was in my chair, and my funeral was long over and done with, empty casket, though no one knew that."

She watches the way Abby's hand stays secured in Jen's, the comfort the two had in each other.

"You still could've come home, Jen."

_Come home, Ziva_.

Jen shakes her head, "No, I couldn't. While I was in a coma, the doctors were able to cut out a benign tumor pressing on my frontal lobe. I was recovering from being shot and nearly dying, a brain tumor and I had no home. There wasn't a place for me anymore. I didn't fit. I was able to get my assests unfrozen, and I came here to Paris under an alias."

She turns to Abby with a small frown, "And you, Abby? Why are you here?"

"After Clay," Abby starts softly, "I went to Europe to bury him next to his mom. I started the charity he wanted, got great people to run I couldn't stay. I missed home a lot, but I couldn't go back. Kasie took over as Chief Forensic scientist when I left, and I couldn't take that from her. So I looked up Tony and came here."

"And, you two?" she questions, looking between the two women, "How did this happen?"

The two share a look, and then Jen replies, "Over an eclair."

Confusion slips onto her face, "What?"

"It was the last one," Abby adds, "but then we realized who it was and went for coffee after."

"She's forgetting the part where she started crying."

"You cried too." Abby replies with a smile.

Tony's voice is soft in her ear, and she relaxes into him, "They're both big babies, don't let them fool you."

"And then it just sorta happened," Abby continues, "I didn't want to let her go again. Not after everything."

"And where are you living?"

Jen smiles softly, "Next door, actually. We watch Tali sometimes."

"I do some volunteer work," Tony adds, "Security at The Louvre sometimes. Park patrol."

The rest of the visit goes well. It was nice to have support that she could rely on. With the promise to take Tali to the park in the morning, she and Tony bid Jenny and Abby a good night and retire for the night.

* * *

"So," she begins slowly, laying in his arms that night, the softness of the bed below them, "is Paris the place where everyone falls in love? Or is that just an NCIS thing?"

Tony chuckles softly, and she relishes in the sound. It had been so long, and she has missed it immensely, "I'm sure it's just an NCIS thing."

She settles into sleep, a relaxed smile on her lips, Tony's arms securely around her, Tali safe and asleep down the hall. She was home.

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading!**


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